


When You Said Destruction...

by Runie (Runic)



Series: Berserker Thor [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Berserker Thor, Bonding, Cunnilingus, F/M, Intersex Loki, Jotun Loki, M/M, Mates, Mating, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2014-06-25
Packaged: 2018-02-06 03:30:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1842742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Thor cannot find a battle partner, someone to calm his berserker rage, soon, Odin will have no choice but to imprison his only son for the safety of Asgard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You Said Destruction...

**Author's Note:**

> I promised thorkizilla a berserker Thor story months ago (like, back in January I think), and somehow it turned into this giant monster of a thing. It was supposed to be two scenes, one smut, and ended up being 11k of plot. Don’t look at me. I was trying something new with the berserker troupe, so I really hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> First half betaed by the wonderful batsutousai. Second half not betaed because I am an impatient asshole.

"When you said destruction, you failed to mention he is the living definition of the word."

Odin looks less than impressed at Loki's comment, not that Loki really cares all that much for what makes the Allfather happy. "We have a deal, sorcerer. Your works lies before you."  To emphasize his point, Odin gestures to his rampaging son. "Do not waste my time."

Thor, only heir to the throne of Asgard, is a berserker, the most ferocious warriors known to the nine realms. But berserkers have a major flaw, the reason they are used only as a last resort, and the evidence of that is spread out across the battlefield Loki now has to traverse. The enemies are dead, half of them nothing more than charred bits of flesh thanks to the lightning Thor is still throwing around. Without a target, Thor is simply lashing out, turning the terrain, which had a few hours ago been a wide open plain, into a waste land.

"Oh my," Loki says, too softly for Thor to hear over the loud roars he seems to have deemed are necessary. "How have they allowed you to remain unchained for so long?" Even with his position as Prince to fall back on, this level of destruction would have long ago called for Thor to be locked away.

Thor spins, lightning arching off his skin, and his eyes land on Loki, who has just enough time to brace himself before Thor's hand wraps around his throat. The man can certainly move surprisingly fast for someone who carries around so much bulk. He roars in Loki's face, his pupils blown wide by the Rage.

Loki wraps his hands around Thor's wrist, the cold radiating off his skin causing Thor to pause in wonderment for the brief moment Loki needs. "So eager for a fight?" Loki chokes out. "I can certainly offer you one."

Even in his base state, Loki sees the recognition in Thor's eyes that this is no normal challenge. Thor lowers him enough that Loki can stand on tip toe, but the hand does not leave. "I can give you a new kind of fight, one I doubt anyone has thought to offer you."

Thor wants to pound him into the ground, Loki can see it (and if everything goes according to plan, that is basically what will still happen, only with Loki walking away at the end of the encounter), but the thrill of a new challenge stops Thor's hand. He shakes Loki roughly, eager to draw forth this promised fight from the Jotun currently at his mercy.

Loki moves one hand to Thor's cheek, the gesture oddly gentle amid the desire for violence. It confuses the dull creature, who leans into the touch questioningly. The smile that crosses Loki's face is particularly vicious. Thor's eyes go wide, and he tries to throw Loki away, but potent ice magic slams into the warrior, knocking him onto his back.

Loki straddles him before Thor has a chance to stand, ice forming around the berserker’s hands and feet, buying Loki a few precious seconds. In a very unsubtle move, Loki rolls his hips back against Thor’s hard cock trying to nestle itself between Loki’s cheeks. “I see battle excites you in more than one way. How lucky for me,” Loki taunts.

Thor lets lose a roar that shakes the very earth. It feels as if someone has just punched Loki in the gut with the way his breath is suddenly gone. He does nothing to stop Thor as he rolls them over, his hard cock pressing against Loki’s hip. Thor growls, his face so close their noses are almost touching. Loki fights to keep his fear in check. He had known Thor’s Rage was powerful, ever before he had seen the Odinson fight, but having it focused only on him is a completely different experience. Fear fights to overcome Loki. He can feel his heart racing and the quickness of his breaths. If he lets it take control, then this will all have been for naught. A berserker cannot have a battle partner who succumbs to the Rage; that would defeat the whole purpose of having a battle partner in the first place.

Thankfully, Thor seems too focus on this new form of battle to pay much attention to the struggle going on in Loki’s mind at the moment. He spreads Loki’s legs, wrapping them around his waist as he presses Loki against the hard dirt. Loki screams as Thor slams into him. He knows Thor is unable to focus on save for the chase of his own pleasure, he can feel Thor’s sense of satisfaction and triumph washing over him as if he wore the emotions on the too warm skin brushing against Loki’s. All he has to do is hold on until the end.

Loki very nearly does not make it. Thor’s stamina, unlike most Æsir stories, does not seem to have been exaggerated. The Odinson continues to pound into Loki’s body, Loki’s nails at his back and teeth biting at his neck only encouraging him. All the while, Loki wages a mental war with Thor’s Rage, chasing it down with appeals to logic and reason, but while Loki is one of the most powerful sorcerers the Nine Realms has ever seen, even his discipline is failing by the time Thor is finished.

Thor’s climax brings with it one final push of Rage, a wave attempting to pull Loki down into its depths. But Loki clings to Thor, to his newly cleansed mind. He has not brought the Odinson back to himself only to fail at the last second. He screams, clawing his way to the surface. Loki’s magic lashes out, ice freezing the wave before it shatters at a single word from his lips.

Loki looks up into shocked blue eyes, relived when he sees reason within them. Thor pulls out of his body, mouth opening to say something: an apology, a demand, an explanation. Loki knows not, nor does he care. He lifts his head up, slamming his horns against Thor’s forehead. Unsuspecting of any attack, Thor does naught to defend himself, and drops to the ground unconscious.

Loki pushes Thor off of him and stands, grinning wickedly toward where he knows Odin is still watching. “It seems I have succeed where all other Æsir have failed, Allfather. Your plan to rid Jotunheim of her sorcerer has failed.”

/

The fatigue and grogginess are normal, old friends greeting him at the brink of wakefulness. The massive headache though, that is new. Thor groans loudly as he sits up, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. It does nothing to help the pounding in his head.

A soft chuckle reaches his ears, one he immediately recognizes as his mother’s. Frigga forces something into his hands and orders, “Drink.”

Thor does as bid, dumping half the cup’s contents onto his chest when he still refuses to open his eyes, and drinks deeply. Immediately the pounding in his head stops and his senses come back into focus.

“Did I hurt anyone this time?” Thor asks. Best to get the bad news over with sooner rather than later. He has sent many of his fellow warriors to Valhalla by his own hand. Over time it has poisoned his enthusiasm for being a berserker, but when Asgard calls for his help, Thor cannot hide like a coward.

“No one.”

Thor’s eyes snap open and he stares at his mother in disbelief. “What?”

“Save for the enemy, you harmed no one; else you would have woken in the dungeons.” The relief on Frigga’s face is wonderful to see. Too long has Thor’s condition been only a cause of distress for Frigga.

“Father found a partner for me then? I…I thought, after so many, I would never find someone to calm the Rages.”

Frigga’s smile falters for a second, and that, more than anything else, terrifies Thor. “He did,” Frigga answers, keeping her voice even. It is a tone she saves for politicians and ambassadors when they are walking on thin ice. “Thor, your partner, he is…he likes to goad people, but you must understand he is all that stands between you and imprisonment.” Frigga places a warm hand over Thor’s own. “That is not the fate I would see you set upon.”

Thor offers her his most reassuring smile. “Do not worry, Mother. Whoever my partner is, I shall be grateful to him for what he has done for me.”

“Well, that is good to hear.”

Thor’s head snaps toward the new voice, eyes going wide at the sight of a Jotun entering from the chamber set aside for Thor’s partner. He is small for a Jotun, smaller than Thor even, but those red eyes and raised heritage lines are unmistakable. Instinctively, he reaches out for Mjolnir.

The Jotun makes a ‘tsk’ noise at the back of his throat, and shakes his head. “Your gratitude certainly lasted a long time.”

“You mean..?” Thor trails off, looking back to his mother. When Frigga nods, Thor’s heart sinks. His partner is a Jotun. No wonder his mother tried to warn him.

“You did not tell me he was an idiot,” the Jotun directs at Frigga.

Frigga gives the Jotun a sharp look. He in turn looks suitably cowed, but the glint in his eyes makes Thor think that internally the Jotun is still laughing at him.

“Thor, this is Loki Laufeyson, Prince of Jotunheim. He is the one who brought you out of the Rage, and as such, the Allfather has declared him your battle partner.” Frigga stands and kisses Thor’s cheek. Before she pulls back, she whispers, “When you are bathed and dressed, your father wishes to speak with you. And remember, this is a good thing, Thor.”

Once she is gone, Thor takes a deep breath before turning back to the Jo…Loki. He opens his mouth to say something, anything. When nothing comes out, Loki raises his eyebrows in such a condescending look, Thor feels rage, of the normal verity, fill him. He huffs and throws his covers off, turning his back on Loki and heading for the bathing chambers.

He will deal with having an enemy as his most trusted battle companion after he has had words with his father.

/

“What were you even _thinking_?”

The Allfather turns back to his son, fury etched into every line on his face. This argument has been going on for far too long, as far as Thor is concerned, and still his father will not see reason. “I was _thinking_ to keep my only son from an eternity locked away from the world he was born to protect!”

“But a Jotun!” Thor gestures wildly, throwing his arms to the side in jerky motions. “Father, he would sooner stab me in the back than help me secure my place on the throne!”

Odin stares at Thor for a long, tense moment. It drags on, Thor unable to form words as he is pinned down by countless centuries. “The Jotun will not betray you. I have offered him something he wants, desperately, and he will not obtain it for many years yet.”

“Perhaps if I knew this deal you had offered him, I would be more willing to accept his ‘help.’”

“You need only know what I have told you,” Odin answers, anger seeping back into his voice.

“If I am to be king-”

“You are not king yet!” Odin interrupts. “As you have shown today, you are still nothing more than a child, not yet ready for the responsibilities of the kingdom. As such, certain things will be kept from you.”

Odin turns his back again, walking away as Thor tries to reign in his anger. Normal anger is so different from the Rage, but it comes on the same way, crashing over the mind like a wave, drowning everything in its wake. Thor has had a long time to practice fighting against the current, but somehow it always manages to sneak up on him. “Father,” Thor manages without too much hostility in his tone, “he is Laufey’s son.”

“I am aware,” Odin answers, clearly annoyed that Thor has chosen not to see that he is done with the conversation.

“He will betray us, and when he does, we cannot fool ourselves into thinking it will not lead to war.”

“Then we will kill them all,” Odin says so calmly it sends chills down Thor’s spine. “A war with a weakened kingdom is preferable to the damage that would be caused if Asgard was left without an heir.”

“Father-”

“Enough. Go attend to your battle partner, and see this for the blessing it is. As long as Loki is at your side, there will be someone who can rein in your Rage. You will no longer harm your fellow warriors. All your fury will be going towards the protection of Asgard.”

Thor struggles to accept this. He knows his father is right, but entrusting himself to a Jotun, Laufey’s son no less, will be no easy task.

/

“What did you do to calm me?”

Loki rolls his head back languidly to meet Thor’s intense gaze, making sure his horns do not hit the wall behind him. The chambers that have been provided for him, an offshoot of Thor’s own, are extravagant and beautiful, definitely fit for a prince, but they were obviously designed with an Às battle partner in mind. Loki keeps hitting his horns against the furniture and getting them tangled up in the linens. Sleeping is going to be a test of patience. His horns are going to rip right through those pillows and there will be feathers everywhere. As far as Loki is concerned, it serves the Æsir right for not providing him with proper bedding in the first place.

“Oh, did they not tell you?” Loki asks slowly, trying to sound as uninterested as possible. The hint of a smirk and the wicked gleam in his eyes are doing nothing to endear him further to Thor. “You fucked me into the ground. We apparently left an impression, so you can tell the exact spot.”

For a moment, it looks like Thor is going to throttle him, but then his face falls as if Loki’s words have just completely crushed him. That is certainly unexpected.

“I…” Thor starts to stammer, looking at Loki with something akin to horror. “You have my deepest apologies for what I have done to you.”

“What you have done to me?” Loki pushes himself out of his chair, setting aside the book he had previously been occupying himself with before Thor walked in and saw fit to interrupt his day. “And what, exactly, do you think you have done to me, Odinson?”

The look Thor gives him, begging Loki not to make him say it, does nothing to soften Loki. He continues to stand there, patiently waiting for a response. He, unlike Thor, has nothing to do with his day, and therefore can wait as long as necessary.

Thor opens his mouth only to shut it again. He swallows hard, and squares his shoulders, as if determined to face this. Loki will not say it out loud, but he does give Thor credit for not turning on his heel and fleeing from the situation entirely. “I raped you,” Thor finally manages to say.

Loki sighs and rolls his eyes, making both actions as melodramatic as possible. “Oh please, you did not _rape_ me, you ignorant oaf. Your father sent me in with the intention to either have me tame you or for you to kill me. I chose sex to control you because no one had tried it before.”

“But you were only there _because_ of my father’s request,” Thor protests.

Loki raises his eyebrows in mock shock. “Are you trying to convince me that you actually did rape me?” Loki shakes his head and clicks his tongue in disgust. “I did not, nor do I now, see our encounter as anything of the sort. Your father got what he wanted, and I now have a chance to obtain what I want.”

“And what is that?” Thor asks, latching onto Loki’s statement like a kid would a sweet.

“Ah.” The wicked gleam returns in full force. This is a game Loki is comfortable playing. “I see they have not told you yet. Why is that, I wonder?”

Thor practically seethes under his words, but still seems reluctantly to anger Loki. No doubt he is still clutching to the Æsir’s silly standard of honor. Loki suspects this is not the last he has heard of it, but at least Thor seems to have given up on that particular conversation topic for right now.

“Well?” Loki prompts when Thor remains silent.

“I know not,” the Odinson finally answers. 

Loki rolls his eyes again. “You are a horrible liar,” he declares, setting into Thor’s personal space. Thor immediately takes a step back, his eyes widening comically at the close proximity. “From what I’ve heard of you berserkers and your battle partners, the bond we are to share is so close we really cannot be expected to keep secrets from one another,” Loki purrs in a silky voice, similar to the one he had used on Thor when the Odinson was in his berserker state.

Thor’s face immediately lights up, obviously thinking he is about to receive an answer for this most important question. But when Loki takes another step forward, Thor takes another back; followed by another, and another.

“But, I have heard that they also treat one another with respect and trust.” Loki takes one final step, pushing Thor over the door’s threshold. “So it seems, we both have certain aspects of this relationship to work on.” He catches a brief moment of Thor’s shocked face before he closes the door on it.

“Well, that was satisfying.”

/

Sif watches as Thor paces his chambers like an angry bear. “You cannot be surprised,” she finally says, knowing Thor will only get himself more worked up the longer she allows this to go on.

Thor spins on his heel, directing the full of his fury at her. “It is a routine visit. We have done them hundreds of times before! Why should I be required to take…” Thor trails off, searching for a proper word to describe his new battle partner, “- _him_?” he finally settles on, rather unimaginatively.

“Because,” Sif explains calmly, “every berserker is required to take their battle partner with them when going into a potentially Rage inducing situation. You have only been exempt from this rule for so long because you are the prince. Now that you have one, the Allfather can no longer justify sending you anywhere without sending the Jotun along as well.”

“You do not have to take a battle partner with you,” Thor points out, practically pouting.

“And you know the reason for that. I, unlike you and most other berserkers, have enough control over my Rage that I can bring myself out of it without help,” she reminds him.

Thor grumbles and turns to continue his pacing. He has taken no more than five steps before there is an urgent knocking on the door. Thor storms over, nearly ripping the door off its hinges when he opens it.

“My Prince,” the guard immediately starts without any prompting. “Marauders have found their way into one of the outlying villages. The Allfather requires you to gather a detail of warriors and deal with the situation.”

Thor shares a look with Sif, but she is as unrelenting as everyone else has been on the subject. She does not particularly like, let alone trust, the Jotun, but she has seen the damages caused by Thor’s Rage, both to Asgard and himself. If there is something, someone, who keeps him from that again, Sif is not going to let him do something foolish and deny himself the help he needs. She will just be keeping a very close eye on his back to make sure a dagger does not end up buried there.

Thor finally sighs and dismisses the guard with a wave of his hand. He plods toward Loki’s door as if he is a man on his death march. “People are dying, Thor,” Sif reminds him, her words forcing him to pick up the pace. She follows behind, shoving at his shoulder for good measure.

He finally opens the door to Loki’s rooms, and both Æsir are greeted by a wave of cold air. Loki has made himself a giant block of ice and burrowed into it, looking for all the world like he is asleep.

“Loki?” Thor says breathlessly, his eyes going wide. Obviously he has never seen the Jotun this way. Sif has to admit, he is not what she was expecting. He actually looks rather beautiful, in an exotic manner. It is as if someone took all the unappealing features of a Jotun and fashioned them to Æsir taste.

Thor clears his throat before calling Loki’s name again. “We are needed.”

Loki’s eyes immediately open, a shocking shade of red staring back at them. He pulls himself out of his ice block and joins them, a grin on his lips. “Excellent. I was beginning to get bored.”

/

Thor is determined not to need Loki. He has tried keeping the Rage in check before, but this time he has added incentive. He builds a wall in his mind, keeping the waves back. It is not an easy task. The adrenaline rushing through his blood, the smell and sounds of battle, they all pull at him, weakening the strength of his wall from within.

And then it happens. He is so focused on holding his Rage in check that he is not watching Sif’s back. He hears her scream in pain, and turns just in time to see her fall to her knees.

It happens without so much as a thought. Red boils over and clouds his vision. Tiny creatures charge at him, but they are nothing. He swats them away, the powerful weapon in his hand humming in tune with this newly unleashed power. He calls lightning and thunder, devastating the area around him. Nothing will stand in his way. He will destroy it all. He will kill them all.

Tear them all to pieces.

Crush them.

Destroy them.

Kill them.

Ah, he remembers this one. Even through the haze that clouds his mind, he remembers the last fight he had with this one. It had been pleasurable in a way no other fight has. He grabs at the one, bringing him close. He growls in his face, but the one does not flinch away. The one reaches down to free his cock, his weapon in this fight. He wraps the one’s legs around his waist and brings the one down, screaming his joy as he impales the one upon his cock. The one gasps, mouth dropping open in a silent scream. The one throws his head back. He moves, gleefully taking in every reaction the one has to his movements. It is a beautiful sight, the most enjoyable battle he has ever had. He will not crush this one. He will not destroy this one. He will not kill this one. He wishes to fight with this one over and over and over again.

He roars as he reaches the height of his pleasure. The red begins to drain from his vision, a wave of weariness replacing his earlier strength. Thor does not want to move. The cool surface his head is resting against feels amazing.

“If you drop me, I am going to be most displeased,” a tired voice tells him.

Thor finally, reluctantly, lifts his head, staring straight into Loki’s red eyes. A dawning horror overcomes him as he realizes the position they are in: wrapped around each other in the middle of a battlefield, Thor’s cock hanging out, and his seed leaking out of Loki’s quim and down his legs. He did it again. Even after trying so hard, he was unable to hold himself back.

“Loki-”

“Down,” Loki demands, kicking his heels against Thor’s back. “As I said, I am not fond of the thought of you dropping me right now.”

Thor immediately moves his arms so that Loki can unwrap his legs from around Thor’s waist without falling out of his hold. That cool skin feels so amazing as it chases away the lingering heat left by the Rage, that Thor does not even realize he is still holding onto Loki once the Jotun’s feet are on the ground. He only knows that the cold brings relief. “Loki,” he tries again.

“None of that, Thor,” Loki cuts him off again, his tone almost sweet. “Sleep, oaf. You obviously need it.”

Thor had not thought of it until then, but he has never managed to stay awake this long after his Rage has left him. This moment of wakefulness makes him relish the feeling of once more being clear headed. But Loki is right, he is tired. He is so very tired, and the coolness he curls up against feels so very comfortable.

.

Loki finds he cannot tear himself away from Thor’s side. Thor’s friends, the three idiots and the rather distasteful woman, carried him back to the city, disrespecting Loki’s right to take care of Thor as his battle partner. He hates the feeling of protectiveness that refuses to leave. He does not want to care about the Odinson, but he cannot help himself. The bond has already been set in place between them, and is taking advantage of the opportunity to cement itself in place. This bond between battle partners, it is too similar to an aspect of Jotun culture for Loki’s liking. As it has been described to him, when the bond between mates is forming, before it has completely solidified itself, there are strong urges of protectiveness and jealously.

Which would probably explain why Loki wants so much to rip out Sif’s throat at the moment. Thor is his to take care of, his to look after and protect, but the woman refuses to leave them alone. But these are just feelings for his battle partner, of course. There is no way Loki, the most desired of Laufey’s children, would form a mate bond with an Às.

Loki huffs as he settles himself into a chair beside Thor’s bed. Sif will not leave, and he has no power to make her, so he must simply accept her presence; for as much as Loki wishes to, he knows he will not be able to leave Thor’s side until the Odinson awakens.

/

For three months, Thor goes about his life as normal. For three months, he does not see Loki, despite the other being only a doorway away. He wonders about it, mostly at night when there is nothing to distract him, but Loki begins to seep into his thoughts during the day more and more. It seems the longer Thor goes without seeing Loki, the more his Jotun partner occupies his mind.

With the summer festival coming up, Thor makes the decision to extend a courtesy invite to Loki. After all, if Loki is to live in Asgard now, it will do him no good to seclude himself.

“Loki!” Thor greets joyfully as he throws open the door to Loki’s rooms. “I-”

He trails off when Loki whips around, red eyes burning with nothing but hatred. “What-“ Loki growls in a tone that sends chills down Thor’s spine, “-could you possibly want?”

A moment is all Thor needs for the shock to transform itself into outrage. “I merely came to see if you would like to end your seclusion, but if this is the type of company you will offer, I would be better served to find myself people more grateful for the invitation.”

Loki barks a sharp laugh, the room growing noticeably colder. “Why should I be grateful when it has taken you three months to do so?”

“Do not blame me for your isolation. You were the one who refuses to leave your rooms!” Thor snaps back.

“It is your fault! I cannot leave this room without you as escort.” Loki’s own rage softens into something much crueler at Thor’s lack of response. “Ah, so Odin did not tell you, nor did you care enough to inquire.”

“I thought to give you space,” Thor answers, knowing his answer is meek.

“You thought you would rather not have your Jotun attachment around to ruin your fun.”

“Loki, truly I did not know. If I had, I would not have left you alone for so long.” Thor nods to himself, his decision already made. “Wait here,” he instructs.

“It is not as if I can do much else!” Loki shouts after him.

.

“No.”

“Father, he is my battle partner-”

“He is also the son of one of my greatest enemies. My decision stands.”

“Odin.”

Thor breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of his mother. She has always been able to calm Odin down when he and Thor butt heads. He can only hope that she sees his side of the argument and can help sway Father to his side.

“Frigga,” Odin practically growls, although his whole demeanor softens at the sight of her. “I take it you do not agree?”

“Not at all,” Frigga answers bluntly. “Firstly, because Loki is Thor’s battle partner. The decision should come down to him. Even as King, your power to interfere with battle partners is limited; unless, of course, you want every berserker to start fearing that you will start making restrictions on them,” she adds.

Thor puffs up, a smile on his lips. Odin’s eyes flicker to him briefly, a hint of a snarl slipping out of the Allfather’s mouth. Frigga pretends to ignore it and continues on with her argument. “Secondly, Loki would still be confined, the general public is not allowed into Bilskirnir without request. It will do him good to see more than a single room. If he is to support Thor, Loki must be allowed to flourish here.”

After a moment, Odin sighs, shoulders slumping in defeat. “I should know by now to run when you open your mouth.”

Frigga smiles at him, cupping his cheek with her soft hand. “And yet you do not, for you know my words carry wisdom.”

Odin allows himself a brief moment of affection where he leans into Frigga’s touch, his own hand lingering gently on her waist. “Very well,” he finally relents. “You may move Loki to Bilskirnir, and set whatever rules you deem necessary for him within its walls. However, he is still to have an escort if he sets foot into Asgard proper.”

Thor bows, showing acceptance of Odin’s decision. “Thank you, Father.”

Odin waves him away, looking older than Thor has ever remembered seeing him. “Go, and do not make me regret this decision.”

“I shall not give you cause to do so.”

.

When Thor opens the door to Loki’s chambers again, he is greeted by a wave of cold air. It slams into him and steals away his breath. To show his displeasure, Loki has turned his entire room into an ice cavern. The floor is thick and slippery as Thor ventures in with cautious steps. The ice crawls up the walls to the ceiling, clinging to the chandelier in delicate drops. Even Loki’s lunch has been subjugated to the winter treatment.

“I thought for sure it would be another three months before I saw you again,” Loki snipes. He is sitting cross legged in the center on the bed, also frozen over, glaring at Thor.

“Well, this will certainly make things easier. We won’t have to move anything now,” Thor states as he continues to look around the room.

Loki’s eyes narrow even further. “What do you mean?”

“I am moving you to my hall, Bilskirnir. You still may not move about Asgard freely, but you will have the whole grounds to move about in, instead of just one room.”

Loki sits up a little straighter, failing to hide the excitement that flashes across his face at Thor’s words. “Odinson, if you are having a laugh at my expense, I will be most displeased.”

“Not at all.” Thor slides a bit when he takes another step, catching himself on the bedpost before he can fall. The grin on Loki’s lips falters when Thor answers it with a laugh of his own. Thor manages to position himself on the foot of the bed so that he will not slide off, although it is not very comfortable. He is certain he will be frozen to the blankets by the time their conversation is done. “Loki, I had no idea my father had placed such a restriction on you, and I accept blame for not inquiring in the first place. I hope you will accept my invitation to Bilskirnir, and that we may begin this relationship anew. We have both not made it easy on one another, and seeing as it looks we will be stuck with one another for a long time, I would like us to be friends.”

Loki stares at him for a long moment. Thor tries to squirm, but sure enough, his legs are stuck to the bed. “I will accept your invitation, Odinson. Your apology, however, I will only accept in time if you prove to be sincere in your desire to improve this relationship.”

Thor nods, a bright smile stretching his lips. “I am glad. Now, ah, would you mind removing this ice so that I may escort you there?”

One would think, with as long as Loki has been cooped up, he would move faster, but Loki takes his sweet time. He claims it is simply part of the process, but that wicked smirk on his lips gives Thor doubts.

/

There is an almost immediate change in Loki over the next few days. Thor spends much of his time at Bilskirnir, just in case Loki wishes to seek him out. Loki, however, seems more than content to spend his time wandering around Bilskirnir and exploring his new home. He is quite taken with the library, which is nowhere near as grand as Odin’s own. Thor makes a point to ask Loki which subjects he is most interested in, and has the books loaned out from his father’s library.

Loki also seems to enjoy the gardens, a miniature version of the ones Frigga herself kept. He mentions as much to his mother, only to find her explaining the properties of herbs to Loki the next day. Loki actually seems happy, still biting wit and fierce temper, but happy all the same. It warms Thor’s heart to see Loki constantly smiling and curious.

“I have decided to accept your apology,” Loki announces a week later, adding on, “as long as current conditions continue, of course.”

“Of course,” Thor relents, beaming at his battle partner. “I am glad I could make you happy, Loki.”

“If only to assuage your own guilt.” Loki huffs as he flops down next to Thor on his bed, somehow making the movement seductive, Thor’s eyes running over the uncovered blue flesh before guilt washes over him and he turns away.

“Somewhat, yes,” Thor admits. “But mostly because I wish us to be friends.”

“We are more than that, I think.”

“I guess we are.” Thor lapses into silence. He still has not forgiven himself for the way Loki became his battle partner, nor what bringing him out of the Rage forces Loki to do, no matter what Loki says otherwise. Thor does not know what Odin promised Loki, barely knows anything about Loki himself, only that whatever it is, Loki has deemed it a worthy enough prize to give up his home and freedom. There is only one thing Thor can think of worth all that, but he has a hard time seeing Odin give up the Casket of Ancient Winters for anything, even Thor.

He is so lost in his own thoughts, he only realizes Loki has moved closer when cool lips press against his. Thor’s eyes widen, but before he can act, Loki is pulling away, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “I can see you thinking. I have told you before, you did not force yourself on me. Despite what you may think, I found our couplings to be most pleasant.”

Thor scoffs his disbelief, but his eyes stay trained on Loki. The Jotun is leaning over him, but not confining him; Thor could easily push him away. Loki’s black hair falls around them to create a curtain protecting them from the outside world, and all Thor can see are those deep red eyes. “I do not see what you could find pleasant about it.”

“That is because you cannot remember it.” One of Loki’s hands moves slowly down the length of Thor’s chest, the other cupping his cheek. “Let me show you just how perfectly we fit together.”

Thor swallows hard, but he can already feel himself reacting to Loki’s touch. He has tried not to think about it, about what in their coupling could so entrance the berserker part of his mind into letting go of its Rage, but now that it has been brought up, it is the only thing his mind can focus on.

Loki leans down again, his lips so close to Thor’s that he can feel Loki’s cool breath against his skin. “Thor?” Thor nods his consent, and once more Loki’s lips are on his. This time, Thor responds. It is somewhat awkward at first, and he suspects that he has never kissed Loki in his berserker state before, but they quickly find each other’s rhythm and fall into it perfectly.

When Loki moves away, Thor groans, finding himself feeling debriefed at the loss of contact. “Patience,” Loki purrs, his lips tracing down the length of Thor’s throat until they reach the collar of his shirt. Loki pulls at the hem, and Thor arches, giving Loki room to remove the fabric. Loki throws the shirt to the ground, and proceeds to simply stare.

“Loki?”

“Shh,” Loki tells him, placing a finger on Thor’s lips for good measure. “You did not exactly give me time to admire before.” Thor feels a conflict of pride and self conscious as Loki’s eyes rake over his body, obvious desire in his eyes. Eventually, Loki decides looking is no longer enough, and reaches out. The cold of his hands make Thor gasp, and he can feel the smirk on Loki’s lips as he kisses at Thor’s chest. He moves slowly over Thor’s skin, exploring with lips, and tongue, and fingers, and nails. He seems absolutely delighted when he discovered he can make Thor groan on demand by scratching at his sides just above his hips.

“Loki,” Thor whines. He reaches up, tangling his fingers in Loki’s thick hair.

Loki ignores him, continuing on at his own pace, until eventually he reaches the top of Thor’s trousers. “Lift your hips, Thor,” he orders, already working on the laces.

Thor obediently does as ordered, eyes locked on Loki’s face and the obvious delight found there. Thor’s cock springs free, eagerly awaiting Loki’s touch. Loki stares at it greedily until Thor places his hands on Loki’s hips. He slides his fingers over the gold belt Loki uses to keep his loincloth up, making quick work of the latch and throwing it aside to join his own clothes. He sucks in a breath through his teeth. “You are beautiful.”

“And think of all the fun we could have had if only you had realized that sooner,” Loki teases. He places a hand over Thor’s, guiding him down over his hip and between his legs. Thor feels a thrill go through him when his fingers meet Loki’s quim, already wet and eager. Without any further prompt, Thor slides his fingers into Loki, moving slowly as he explores this intimate part of his partner. Above him, Loki whines and makes Thor smirk, clearly enjoying his turn to tease.

“Enough,” Loki gasps, shivering when Thor removes his fingers. He cannot move his gaze away as Thor raises his fingers to his lips, tongue flicking out to taste Loki’s pleasure. Thor smirks, but a moment later it is kissed away. “And now,” Loki whispers, lips still pressed against Thor’s, “you will see how perfectly we fit together.”

Loki wraps his fingers around the base of Thor’s cock, the sudden chill making Thor moan, and slowly guides Thor inside him. Loki freezes when he finally has Thor fully inside him, head thrown back and mouth open in a silent moan.

Loki is right, they do fit together perfectly. Despite his reputation, Thor has not actually had much vaginal sex, women tend to complain that he is too big to fit inside them without experiencing pain, but Loki has taken him fully without any hint of such problems.

“Loki, move,” Thor tries to order, but it sounds more like he is begging.

“All in good time.” Despite his words, Loki does begin to move, barely lifting himself up before sinking back down. He repeats it a few more times, driving Thor absolutely mad, until he finally nearly lifts himself off Thor completely. He pauses, hovering over Thor, staring into his eyes. Thor is not sure what passes between them, an understanding or agreement perhaps, but in truth it has no words, but suddenly Thor thinks he understands why Loki is the only logical choice for his battle partner, not that he could ever explain that understanding with any words in existence.

Loki stops teasing, sinking back down onto Thor and rising again, setting a punishing pace. Thor moans, arching his hips to meet Loki each time, hands alternating between resting on his hips to moving up and down his legs. When they do this again, he is going to be the one teasing Loki as he explores every inch of flesh on the Jotun’s body. He has no idea how long their coupling last, only that when Loki sinks down again Thor screams his pleasure as he spills his seed inside his battle partner. Loki wraps a hand around his own cock, giving a few strokes before he comes, thick white seed decorating Thor’s stomach.

Loki lifts himself up just enough so that he will not hurt Thor when he flops down to the side, pressing up against Thor’s bulk. “I told you.”

“You did indeed.” Thor absently runs his fingers through Loki’s hair again, occasionally stopping to play with one of the gold ordainments Loki has woven into the strands. “I admit, I am rather surprised. I have never met anyone who could take the full of me before.”

Loki laughs as he lifts himself up just enough to rest his chin on Thor’s chest. “I told you, we fit perfectly together. You are too big for an Æsir woman, but Jotun are designed to take pleasure from deeper penetration. Even still, I am too small to for my fellow Jotun, but you-” Loki paused to kiss Thor’s chin, “-you’re cock is just the right size for me.”

Thor could not help himself, he threw his head back and laughed. “So when you said we fit together you did not mean in a mental sense, but physically.”

“Well, yes, but I am a firm believer that a physical fit can lead to a mental one.”

“You may be right,” Thor agrees; about more than one thing, actually, but that is a discussion for another time. Right now, Thor is content to drift off to sleep with Loki at his side, finally allowing the comfort of their bond into his mind.

/

He is going to kill Thor.

Loki has suspected months ago, after Thor’s last Rage when he had been unable to leave the Odinson’s side. The separation afterwards had torn at his nerves and made him irritable, but he had managed to work through it. But now, after spending time in Thor’s company as both companion and lover, Loki has stupidly allowed the bond to take hold. With Thor suddenly called upon to perform his duties as Prince of Asgard, Loki is once again left alone, and now that the bond has been given time to take hold completely, Loki knows he cannot weather this separation. The fact that Thor feels absolutely nothing only serves to further infuriate him.

Therefore, Loki has no choice. He must kill Thor.

Except that is the last thing he could ever do now. The mate bond, so very similar to the bond between battle partners, is only felt by Jotun apparently. So while Loki suffers under the weight of two bonds holding him to Thor, Thor can go about his day as if nothing were wrong at all.

Of course, Thor should receive some benefit as Loki has not told him any of this, but Loki does not find that to be an acceptable excuse.

And Asgard is so hot. Really, why must it be so hot? Humidity, Loki thinks, is someone’s idea of a sick joke. Loki iced over his entire room again, but not even his magic cools him down. He wanders into Thor’s rooms, knowing the Odinson isn’t there, but searching anyways. He needs Thor. Why isn’t he here?

Loki does not feel himself fall, only breathes in relief at the coolness of the floor tiles before that too vanishes. His magic spills from him, but it is all futile. Loki needs Thor, but he is not here.

/

“Where is he?” Thor demands, marching into his chambers. The lump curled up on his bed shifts, and Thor runs to Loki’s side.

“Calm yourself, Thor.” Frigga places a comforting hand on Thor’s arm. “He is fine for now.”

Thor breathes a sigh of relief, placing a hand on the top of Loki’s head as he bends down to kiss his forehead. His mother had sent for him as soon as she had found Loki. He had missed their luncheon, but the ice creeping down the hallways of Bilskirnir was a dead giveaway of Loki’s position. Still, her message had only said that Loki was ill. Thor’s heart had immediately twisted with worry.

“He is hotter than he usually is,” Thor murmurs, not taking his eyes off Loki’s sleeping form.

“Yes.” Frigga takes up position on the other side of the bed. Thor can feel her magic working its way across Loki’s body, keeping him from overheating completely. “Thor, did you know that Jotun form a bond similar to battle partners?”

Thor looks up at his mother, brow furrowed. “I have never heard of a Jotun having access to Rage before.”

Frigga shakes her head. “Similar in form, but different in purpose. Theirs is a mate bond, formed between two lovers. They do not have marriage, for the bond is more than enough. However, when the bond is forming it is volatile, and when interrupted both parties tend to exhibit illness like effects.”

“Mother, are you saying that Loki is forming this bond with me?” Thor asks. His eyes go back down as Loki rolls closer to him. “I feel no ill effects, certainly nothing like this.”

“Because you are not Jotun,” Frigga answers, her soft voice calming him.

Thor shakes his head. “How do you know all this?”

“Because I was told of the experience from the only other Jotun to form a mate bond with an Æsir.”

Thor does not have to think very hard to figure out whom she meant. Everyone knows the story of how Bor had taken the most beautiful Jotun as his consort, and how she had given him the heir he had so desperately hoped for before the end of their first year together. “Bestla.”

Frigga nods. She smiles down at Loki when he sighs in his sleep, curling up around Thor’s hand. “From what your grandmother told me, this is exactly what she experienced with Bor. The Æsir do not respond to the mate bond, which confuses the Jotun partner. Their mind and body push themselves to the point of desperation searching for some form of response. Jotun eventually go into heat once the bond has formed, but Bestla’s drove her into it early. She left Asgard and sought out your grandfather on the battlefield of Svartalfheim. They conceived your father that night in camp, and the bond was satisfied.”

Thor shifts uncomfortably, looking down at Loki. “Loki is in heat then?”

“Very nearly, I think.” Frigga shrugs. “I have never actually seen a Jotun in heat before. They are well protected by their mates when they enter such a state. Eir and I have only Bestla’s account to go on.”

On the one hand, the thought of Loki growing fat with his child excites Thor, and he wants nothing more than Loki to wake up so they can conceive. On the other hand… “Mother, I cannot impregnate Loki now. What if Asgard needs me in battle? I cannot go without Loki, and I cannot take Loki if he is pregnant. I will not risk my lover, nor my child, in such a way.”

Frigga nods to show her understanding. “All you can do now is stay with him.” She moves around the bed to stand beside Thor, placing her hands on his shoulders until he bends down so she can place a kiss on his forehead. “I will talk to your father. Do not worry, Thor. Asgard will not fall while you take care of Loki.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

Thor waits until Frigga leaves before climbing onto the bed next to Loki. Immediately, Loki shifts closer to him, burying his head in Thor’s lap. Thor smiles as he runs his fingers through Loki’s hair, settling in to wait for his lover to wake. He does not know what awaits them, but he will not give Loki up, not when they have come with far together.

/

“Are you sure you cannot just impregnate me and get this over with?”

Thor chuckles lightly and kisses the top of Loki’s head. “No, Loki,” he answers, not for the first time.

With Thor at his side, Loki’s condition has quickly improved, but Thor had not arrived soon enough to keep Loki’s heat from coming on. They have both agreed that at the moment, children are not an option, and with the creative use of toys and Thor’s mouth, that has kept the worst of Loki’s desire at bay. That does not mean Loki has much patience with the whole situation in the first place though.

Loki groans, dramatically throwing an arm over his eyes. “Why, of all the people in the universe, must I mate bond with an Às?”

“Well, you were the one who said we were made for each other,” Thor answers lightly.

“I lied. That was a horrible lie. I take it back.”

Thor simply chuckles and kisses Loki’s head again. Loki shivers in his arms at the contact, biting his lip to suppress a groan. “What will it be this time?” Thor asks, already moving from Loki’s side to spread his legs further apart.

“Your mouth, quickly,” Loki demands. He responds easily to Thor’s touch, hooking his legs over Thor’s shoulders as Thor makes himself comfortable. “If you tease me, I will freeze your cock.”

“That does not sound very fun,” Thor says between the kisses he is planting on Loki’s thighs.

Loki’s heels kick at his back, and Loki growls to make his displeasure known. “Then hurry up.”

“As you wish.” Thor dives in, tongue slipping inside Loki without warning. Loki screams and tries to arch off the bed, but Thor’s strong hands on his hips hold him down. Once Loki has settled back onto the bed, Thor allows one hand to slide down his hipbone, teasing against the base of Loki’s cock before Thor’s thumb rubs up against Loki’s clit. Loki gasps and twists again, both seeking to escape Thor’s tongue and begging for more. Thor sets a relentless pace, having done this often enough now to know all of Loki’s most sensitive spots. He wraps his other hand around Loki’s cock, stroking him as his other continues playing with Loki’s clit and folds. Loki’s hands tangle in Thor’s hair, breathlessly repeating Thor’s name over and over again.

Thor shifts, lifting Loki’s bottom, legs still over Thor’s shoulders, causing Loki to yelp. Loki’s hands scrabble in the search to find something to hold onto, settling for the sheets with Thor’s head too far out of reach. Thor is holding him half in the air as he kneels above Loki, keeping his eyes locked on Loki’s face as his tongue continues to explore Loki’s quim. Loki can do little more than moan helpless and trust that Thor will not drop him. It is not long before Loki screams Thor’s name as he reaches the height of his pleasure, semen hitting his chest and neck thanks to the position Thor has held him in.

Thor laughs at the look on Loki’s face as the Jotun tries to catch his breath. Loki’s immediate answer is to slap Thor’s arm before his lover walks toward the bathing room to grab a wet towel (and to see to his own need).

“You look lovely in white,” Thor teases, even as he begins to run the towel over Loki’s chest. “You should wear it more often.”

Loki rolls his eyes, but sighs at the gentle treatment. “This needs to be over. I hate not being in control of myself.”

“How long do heats usually last?” Thor asks as he finishes up, dropping the towel onto the floor so he can rejoin Loki.

“Hmm?” Loki mumbles as he scoots over, making enough room for Thor before pressing himself up against his side. “For Frost Giants, usually only a week or so. That is more than enough time for one to impregnate their mate. Sea Giants, I have heard, last longer, but they do not form mate bonds and simply sleep with any partner they come across,” Loki answers, clearly disgusted with the practices of the other group.

“Sea Giants?” Thor asks.

Loki sits up slowly so he can look Thor in the eyes. “Please tell me you did not think all Jotun were Frost Giants?”

Thor shifts uncomfortably, but eventually nods. Loki sighs deeply in response, clearly disgusted with him as well. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Explain it to me then,” Thor prompts. “There are obviously Frost Giants, and now I know there are Sea Giants. What else?”

Loki curls up against Thor’s chest, making himself comfortable again before starting. “First, you must understand that Jotunheim is much larger than the other Realms. It is made up of three continents: northern, central, and southern. The Frost Giants live upon the northern continent, for the tilt and rotation or our world ensures that it is always cold. The Sea Giants live in the vast ocean that separates the northern and central lands.

“Secondly, you must understand that there are Jotun born as you or I, who have parents and a sense of community, and there are those born of the very magic of the land.  The central continent is inhabited by this second kind of Jotun. Rock, Storm, Earth, and Forest are the most common. They tend to wander without much purpose, few ever obtaining enough intelligence to be anything more than mindless brutes. There are Fire Giants as well, but they all live in Muspelheim. At the southern tip lives another group of the first type of Jotun. They look more like oversized Æsir than anything else really, and many of the names we have for them would not translate kindly into your language. We have had very little contact with them ever since the war ended and Jotunheim was closed off.

“The southern continent is home to the half breeds. Many Jotun of all kind took lovers from other races. They did not form mate bonds, but some still managed to produce children. Those children that did not feel at home with either parent’s culture formed a community amongst themselves. I was told that they flourished before the war by combining their knowledge of cultures, that the beauty of their capital city could rival Asgard herself. But now there are not enough half breeds or resources to maintain its former glory. That, and they are so inbreed anymore I doubt they have the knowledge to do so even if they had the proper materials.

“There are new forms that pop up every now and again. Jotunheim’s magic regularly impacts and shapes her peoples. These, however, are the main inhabitants of Jotunheim.”

“So, all Frost Giants are Jotun, but not all Jotun are Frost Giants,” Thor concludes as Loki yawns widely.

“Exactly,” Loki answers, voice muffled as he nuzzles against Thor’s chest. “I think of myself first as a Frost Giant, and a Jotun second. Now, if you get your terminology wrong again there will be consequences.”

“I shall, as ever, strive not at cause offense.”

Loki murmurs something, but Thor cannot make out the words. “Loki?” he says after a minute, laughing to himself when Loki grumbles at being disturbed. “Did my father promise you the Casket?”

There is a long silence, and Thor thinks that perhaps Loki will just pretend he has gone to sleep, but finally Loki answers, “To be delivered upon the day of your coronation.”

Thor nods, more to himself as Loki cannot see the motion.

“Are you angry I kept this from you?” Loki asks.

“No,” Thor answers. He would have been if Loki had answered when he first asked all those months ago, would have thought his father an old fool for ever agreeing to such a thing, but now he knows he was the one being foolish. Loki has not outright stated it, but there is a subtle desperation any time he mentions Jotunheim. His land and people are suffering, their world slowly decaying around them. The Casket can help them reverse the tide and restore the crippling state of the realm. For the moment, the Jotun plight keeps them from thinking of war and focuses them on recovery.

Hopefully his own mate bond with Loki will further strength a renewed peace with Jotunheim. Thor finds he long wishes to lead a campaign to slaughter Loki’s people, but instead wishes to see the reflourished glory that existed before the war. Most of all, he wishes for Loki to see it. His lover has grown up on the stories of what Jotunheim once was, all the while watching it die.

“Good,” Loki says, settling back down. “Now go tell your father he is too old, and that you should be king.”

Thor’s laughter echoes off the walls of his room, causing Loki to grumble as his head is jostled. “I doubt he would take such a suggestion with grace.”

“I care not how he takes it, so long as he does it soon.”

“Eager to leave me?” Thor tries to tease, but his heart constricts at his own words.

“I am afraid, my mate, you are stuck with me,” Loki reassures him. He slips into sleep a moment later, Thor following close behind.

/

The first thing they do when Loki’s heat is over is make love. Being able to once more find his release inside Loki’s body is a relief Thor has missed for the past week more than he ever thought he would.

The second is bathe, for Odin has summoned Thor for an audience, and he cannot go stinking of sex.

“Are you coming with me?” Thor asks when he sees Loki dressed formally, attempting to look as if he does not care either way.

“I had planned on it.” Loki shrugs. “If you prefer I stay here…”

Thor stops himself from rolling his eyes at Loki’s melodramatic tone. He slips an arm around Loki’s waist and begins to spin Mjolnir. “Hold on,” is the only warning he gives before they are off. Loki clutches tightly to him, but Thor has a strong grip on his lover. He will not let Loki fall.

All too quickly they reach the palace, and Thor sets them back down on solid ground. He turns to Loki, about to ask if he had enjoyed himself, only to laugh loudly at the look on Loki’s face that ranges somewhere between shock and excitement. “When we are finished here, we are doing that again.”

“As you command.” Thor dips into a bow, laughing again when Loki shoves at his shoulder. “Come, my love. We cannot keep my father waiting.”

“I don’t see why not,” Loki murmurs unhappily, even as he falls into step next to Thor.

The guards open the door to Odin’s study the moment they see Thor, allowing him to stroll right in. There is a moment’s confusion about whether or not they should stop Loki, but it is silently decided that if Odin does not want him there Loki will be thrown out.

Odin looks up from the document he is reading, nodding in approval when he sees Loki. “Good, this concerns both of you.”

“Has something happened, Father?” Thor asks, concerned that they will be sent on a mission so soon after Loki has recovered.

“Something will,” Odin answers cryptically. The old king stands, moving from behind his desk to the large arched window overlooking the city. “You have changed a great deal in these past months, Thor. If I had known having a Jotun at your side would teach your responsibility, I would have sent for him sooner.” Odin pauses to look over his shoulder at Thor, unguarded joy in his eyes. “I am proud of you, my son.”

Thor swallows hard, throat suddenly tight. “Thank you, Father,” he manages somehow. It is not often that he feels he has impressed his father, even less so that Odin tells him as much.

Odin nods, and for a moment Thor sees how the weight of kingship sits on his father, the joy of watching his people flourish, the hostility of war, the sorrow of loss, the hardship of decision, it all sits there out in the open. But it is over a second later when Odin clears his throat and turns back to the window. “As such,” he continues, “I have decided that your coronation shall take place during next year’s summer festival.”

Thor blinks a few times, shocked by the news. Odin had made it clear it would be a long time before he gave the throne over to Thor.

“You have shown yourself worthy,” Odin says, reading Thor’s confusion. “You know now what is expected of you, and understand its importance. And,” he adds, eyes glancing over Thor’s shoulder to Loki, “you have a companion capable of helping you through your reign.”

This time it is Loki who looks confused, and he turns to Thor for clarification. “You would accept me as your queen?”

“Who else?” Thor takes Loki’s hands in his own, bringing them to his lips so he can kiss Loki’s fingertips. “You are my battle partner and my mate. I could not imagine any other by my side.”

Odin nods in agreement. Thor is not surprised at his easy acceptance. Bor and Odin both took their battle partners as their queens, it was expected Thor would do the same. And besides, this would not be the first time Asgard had a Jotun queen on the throne. Although Bestla had reigned before the hostilities between Asgard and Jotunheim, what lingering anger directed at Loki was outweighed by the relief that his presence brought in keeping their beloved prince out of the dungeons.

“Very well, if you are going to give me a crown, I shall not protest.” Loki smirks, that wicked glint in his eyes. Once it had scared Thor, made him think that Loki was up to something. Now he knows that Loki is up to something, Loki is always up to something, but it only makes him laugh.

“When shall the announcement be made?” Thor asks.

“Tonight. We are throwing a feast in your honor for the occasion, so do try not to be late.”

Thor bows to his father, unable to convey his gratitude. Odin smiles knowingly anyways, so it seems words would have been a pointless attempt.

“And the next time Loki goes into heat,” Odin adds, shifting back into a sterner mode, “I expect you two to make me some grandchildren.”

Thor groans, and Loki actually blushes, his cheeks turning a dark blue. “Father!”

“I wish to be a grandfather,” Odin declares. “And you should be grateful it was I who brought this up. Imagine the conversation you would have had with your mother otherwise.”

Thor could do so all too easily. Frigga has told her son multiple times to find someone worthy of him, but to do it soon as she missed having a baby to spoil.

“Well,” Loki begins evenly, trying to regain some shred of dignity, “that will of course have to wait a few years until my, ah, next heat, but you have my assurance I shall eagerly comply when the time does come.”

“Do not encourage him,” Thor groans.

Odin allows himself a small chuckle before making shooing motions with his hands. “Go, you must prepare for tonight.”

“Allfather?” Loki questions, stopping Thor before he can turn to exit the room. “What of the Casket?”

Odin does not answer immediately, taking Loki in with a measured look as if recalculating everything he has just said. “Laufey has already been informed,” he finally answers. “He congratulates you on your success. A contingent of Jotun have already been invited to the coronation, and they shall take the Casket with them when they leave.”

Loki blinks, his head tilting to the side. “I did not expect you to keep your end of our deal.”

“Loki!”

“I did not expect you to be able to fulfill your end in the first place. It seems we both underestimated each other.”

Loki jerks his head sharply in agreement, allowing Thor to slide his arm around Loki’s waist.

“I will see you tonight,” Odin says, dismissing them once again.

This time, Thor manages to walk Loki out of Odin’s study without incident. “We have a few hours before the feast,” Thor says, the hint of a promise in his voice. “Any ideas how we shall spend them?”

“A few,” Loki answers with a nonchalant shrug. “I am more interested to hear what activity you have thought up.”

Thor grins, arm tightening around his lover, his mate, and very soon, his queen. “Hold on.”


End file.
